NEWS Sirmax gains from recycling


Italian compounder Sirmax posted record volumes for the first half of 2021 of 125,000 tonnes — up by 35% on the same period in 2020 and 20% on 2019. The company said first half sales of €220m put it on track to achieve a full year result of more than €400m, consider- ably ahead of its 2020 sales of €300m. The company attributed


the record result to growth in the US, a recovery in the automotive market, good demand for its recycled products, and the ability of its regionalised supply chain model to ensure continued production despite material shortages and rising prices. “Faced with a shortage in raw materials, we have


justified the decision to invest in green compounds, according to Pavin, who said more than €20m has been spent to develop the business since it was acquired in 2019.


Above: The Sirmax headquarters at Citadella in Italy


shown speed and flexibility, gaining market share both in Italy and abroad, entering into solid agreements with new customers,” said Massimo Pavin, President and CEO of Sirmax Group. “This is not a rebound following market recovery; signs of consolidation are present, as the result of a


modus operandi that favours quality, a local and compact supply chain, and transparency. We emerged from the pandemic even stronger than before.” The strong performance


of its recycled products unit SER, which saw volumes increase by 70% over the first half of this year, has


Brüggemann/Grafe target EVs


PA stabiliser and functional additive producer Brüggemann worked with colour specialist Grafe to develop its PA-Tekloen eOrange colour masterbatch for e-mobility applications. Suitable for both injection moulding and


extrusion applications, the RAL2003 master- batch can be used with PA6, PA66 and glass fibre-filled and flame-retardant PAs and is said to retain its colour even after 1,000 hours of service at 130°C. � www.grafe.com


EU chemicals bouncing back


Output across the EU27 chemical sector increased by 5.2% in the first four months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020 with a 14.3% year-on-year increase in April, according to CEFIC’s Chemical Quarterly Report.


8 “We are encouraged to


see that the chemical output is returning to the pre-pan- demic levels but it’s clear that challenging times remain,” said CEFIC Director General Marco Mensink. Country analysis of the spill-over effects of Covid-19


COMPOUNDING WORLD | August 2021


showed that France has lost about 7% of its chemical production and Italy 6%. In contrast, Spain and Ger- many have lost less than 1% and the Netherlands and Poland appear to have recovered totally. � www.cefic.org


“It is not only a sign that the choice to invest in the production of green compounds deriving from the recycling of municipal waste has proved successful for our group but also that our enhanced plastic suitable for any customer need is increasingly appre- ciated,” he said.


While the automotive sector has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels of activity, Sirmax said it is improving. � www.sirmax.com


LB takes control in Malaysia


LyondellBasell has taken full ownership of PolyPa- cific Polymers (PPM), a 25,000 tonnes/yr joint venture compounding operation producing reinforced and modified polyolefin compounds at Port Klang in Malaysia. As part of the deal its former partner in the Malaysian joint venture operation, Australia’s PolyPacific, has taken over LyondellBasell’s stake in its compounding business which is based in Mel- bourne, Australia. � www.lyondellbasell.com � www.polypacific.com.au


www.compoundingworld.com


IMAGE: GRAFE


IMAGE: SIRMAX


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